Interview: Enraged Youth

Within one year Enraged Youth has made major changes. Switching out members, hopping on the Up All Night Collective label, and releasing music that is getting them pull from all over the country. In this interview I caught up EY to talk about the member changes, the reaction of the Still Hated release, as well as the musical direction they are heading.

Last time I was here you had a different lineup. How did the changes take place?

Jack: I’m new on drums, since the last interview. I did drums on the Still Hated EP that just came out. I’ve been in the band for about a year.
Tyler: I’m new on bass. I did the tracking on Still Hated. Been in the band for a year now, too.
Justin: And then Jon switched to vocals (from bass) because Griffin is no longer in the band.
Jack: Free Griff! Doing time like a man!
Justin: He gets out in like a month or two.

So how did you decide to switch Jon to vocals and then get a new drummer and bassist?

Justin: After Jon did the guest vocals on “Roach,” we thought he would be a good fit. Drummer-wise, our old drummer, Guy, was always sick and could never really play and left us hanging on a bunch of shows so we just decided to get a new drummer.
Jack: They hit me up to fill in for a few shows. In my mind, I was like, “Enraged Youth is mad sick, I wanna be in full-time.” So, after a show, I asked if I could be in full-time and they said yeah.
Ricky: There was really no process, it was just a smooth transition.

You released Still Hated this past year, what was the reaction on that?

Ricky: I feel like it was a lot better reaction in comparison to Hated By Society.
Jack: For a lot of people, I feel like it was the first thing they heard from us. Because Hated By Society wasn’t so bad, but it was the first recording.
Tyler: The writing from Hated By Society to Still Hated got a lot better.
Jack: The member change made the process a lot easier and more efficient.

How do you guys write?

Justin: Still Hated was mostly me and Ricky.
Ricky: You wrote four out of the six, and I wrote two on Still Hated. On Hated By Society, it was the same.
Justin: That’s why only two on Hated By Society are good [laughs].

If you could have any rapper do guest vocals on an album who would it be?

Tyler: DMX, 2 Chainz, Kendrick, or A$Ap Ferg.

I think I asked you guys this in the interview from last year, but did you have new musical inspirations from last year?

Justin: I definitely added more.
Ricky: Still very Hatebreed.
Jack: Hatebreed is sick and so is Jagged Visions.
Justin: A lot more influences are starting to come in. I started listening to a lot of 100 Demons, Slayer and Incantation. My whole genre list has increased, thanks to Jon.
Ricky: There is a lot more metal influence coming in. I love hardcore with a metal twist on it. That is like my main thing.
Jack: It’s gonna be so much more metal because I have a double bass pedal now and I didn’t have one before [laughs].
Justin: Jon, do you have anything to say? You have been very quiet.
Jon: You all cut me off. Fuck you all [laughs].

You are are the first band (besides Swamps) signed to Up all Night Collective. How did this happen?

Jack: After we played the Crowns of Kings show this summer, people thought we were sick. Loso texted Justin and me a few weeks after that. He asked what we wanted to do with the album after we recorded it with Nick Bellmore. We said, “Hell yeah, records are dope.”
Tyler: That was a such a shitty response [laughs].

What are the next plans for new music?

Jon: We are definitely taking a darker approach to it. More metal influence ’cause we have Ricky. Justin writes more of the hardcore-influenced songs like “Desecrated.” My lyrics have started to take on darker subject matter. Like, being sad and stuff like that.

Will that be an EP then?

Jack: More of a demo. Like, two songs with Nick Bellmore at Dexter’s Lab.
Justin: We may add a third song, but we don’t want to force-write anything.

Some of you dudes have side projects now. Who is in what?

Jon: The only “official” side project we have right now is Laid 2 Rest.
Jack: I got a mixtape dropping soon!
Jon: Jack and I are trying to start a slammy death metal band.
Jack: Me and Jon putting out the Slam 2015!
Ricky: I just sent them guitar tracks this morning.
Jon: On Instagram, we posted about a fake death metal band, but now it’s turning into a real thing.

Any future tour plans?

Jon: We are going to try to get a week or more with Jagged Visions and Laid 2 Rest this summer.